Dirigible headlight.



1. F. ELLMAUERER. DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT. APPLICATION FILED MAR. I. 1918.

Patented Mar. 25 1919.

lwuemtm' (li'toz uni UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. ELLMAUERER, OF FAIRCIIIL D, WISCONSIN.

DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT.

To'all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN F. ELLMADERER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fairchild, county of Eau Claire, and State of Wisconsin, have. invented new and useful Improvements in Dirigiblc Headlights, of which.the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to improvements in dirigible headlights for motor driven vehicles, and it pertains especially to that t pe of dirigible'headlights disclosed in my ormer Patent #1,194', 156, dated August 8, 1916.

' The object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the headlights may be operated independently from the steering connections of the vehicle in such a manner that. the left hand lamp will be turned to the left when the vehicle turns in that direction, the right hand lamp remaining in normal position, whereas when the vehicle turnsto the right, the right hand lamp will also be turned to the right to light up the roadway along the turn, the left hand lamp remaining in normal positlon.

A further object of my invention is t provide a form of connection adapted for" transmitting motion from the main cross bar ,of the steering connections: to the re spective lamp supporting standards in such a manner that the connections will not be subjected to strain or otherwise injuriously affected by the independent motion of the lamps and their supports duev to the fact that they are mounted upon a spring supported vehicle frame, whereas the steering cross fhar is carried by the sub-frame of the vehicle.

. In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention as applied to a motor driven vehicle of ordinary type.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in side elevation showing one of the lamp supporting standards and its connection with the cross bar of the steering mechanism.

ig. 3 is a detail plan view, on an enlargedscale, of the lamp controlling connections.

i Fig. 4 is a sectional view drawn on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

1g. 5 isa sectional view drawn on line 5-5 of. Fig. 2.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

Application filed March 1, 1918. Serial No. 219,793.

lized to oscillate the standard for the pur-.

pose of turning the lamp 6 for the purpose of directlnp h the rays of light to the side when the ve icle is turning a corner, where by the roadway may be lighted up around the corner. Allv of the above mentioned parts may; be assumed to be substantially the same in construction as'those disclosed in my former patent, except that the lever 5 is connected with the source of power in a diflerent manner and is operated differently as will now be described.

The upper end of the lever 5 is connected with a coupling member 8 by a vertically disposed pivot bolt 9 and the coupling 8 is transversely apertured to receivea rod 10 constituting part of a slide which preferably has the form of a clevis shaped yoke of which 11 and 12 are the respective legs. This yoke is donnected with the steering cross bar 14 by a rod 15, sliding sleeve 16, and rod engaging clamp 17 the members of the clamp being secured to the sleeve by a transverse pivot rod 18. The rod 15 is rigidly connected with the yoke, and is prefa slot 19 through which the leg 12 passes at the elbow formed by its connection with the rod 15. This arrangement allows a slightyielding movement of the yoke under shock.

A stop arm 22 is adapted to serve as a stop. It is connected with a clamp 23 which also serves to secure the bracket l to the sleeve 2. The stop arm 22 limits the movement of lever 5 in one direction from the normal position. in which position the lamp is adapted to direct the rays of light direetly forwardly from the front end of the vehicle.

For the left hand lamp, this stop arm 22 has its lower end at the left hand side of lever 5. A coiled spring 25, having one end. connected with the casing 2 and the other end connected with the standard 1 is to rotate the direction to carry lever against, and hold it pushed through the coupling member 8-to the limit of itsmovement in the left hand direction. Therefore, if the vehicle is turned to the left, motionvivill be transmitted from I the steering cross barl l'to 's'wing the' left hand lamp to the left, for the reason thatp when the steering cross bar is actuated for .isuclia turn, it is moved tot-he right, 'carry- -.-in mWith it, both coupling yokes, but the" ti'on'is to be jound 'inthe 'nieans actu-' ating the rod 15 with thefstfeci ing cioss bar 14 whileinaintaining rod 15] in position lett-hand yoke being alreadyat the limit of 'its. right hand movement'in coupling me m aber 8 Will transmit motion to said couplin member ,8 and through the latter to the left hand lever- 5, thereby oscillating the associated lamp to the left- The right hand yoke" 1'od'1O will, however, move freely to the {light in its associated coupling member I -8, transmitting no'motion 'to'the' right hand moving to the right by its-associated stop "a rni'22. i I

" {'W'hen the steering crossbar 1st is actuated in the opposite direction to turn the vehicle'to the right, the right hand lamp 'W'ill, in a similar manner, he oscillated to'tlie 40 'right withoutaffecting the left hand lamp. I It will be observed that the coupling yokes a' 'e in' flexible-i motion transmitting connection with the lamps 5 owing to the fact the fact that the rod '15 thus occupies an i .i icliiied position, it is adapted to slide iipiivardly and 'dov'vnivai'tlly in the sleeve 16 in correspondence with t lie action of, the springs ivhich'support the main frame of this vehicle. lllach theslee'v-es 1 6 is also adapted to oscillate upon its associated rod h imam,

The arrangement I reversed,

allowing sleeve 16 to' oscillate about l tigandthe clamps 17 being adapted to oscillateupon v their connecting pivot pins 18,

"it is obviousthat each rod 15 is in flexible notion transmitting connection with the cross bar 14:. These flexible joint connections taken with the slidiiig connections afforded by loosely mounting the sleeves 16 upon the rodswl5 relieve the lamp standards the desired movements to" the standards when the vehicle 'is b'eiiigftlriven'f along curved lines of travel.

I attach great importance to the provision ot means whereby only one lamp is] oscillatcdautomatically from the steering coniiections of the vehicle during any given. turning operation, for I am thereby enabled to lightup the roadway directlyj i'n advance of the 'VGlllClO and simultaneously lightfnp the roadway around or across the corner.

Anotlier iniportant feature of my 'inven;

at right angles to the crossbar jand still rod l8jas an axis, to slideiirtl e sleeve 16, and to also'joscillate about ts own, alvis,l;or

axis. V Owing totlie fact that thepi'vot ed 115? is; located in tl eslee ve barr r "t ,latten extends transversely acr the" line the pivot rod 18., the" sleeve s pre n'itted to oscillate above the steering 't-ross bar while nioving \V ltlrtliQkiIOSS ba l when the latter 1 s actuated longitud nally. The sleeve is of fsulheien't length to'cari ythe rod 15 bodily without craiiipii g ii any manner aiid tliei'etore these bod ly movements do not inte'rt'ere \vit l 'thc sliding nioveii'reiits; of the rod in the sleeve. The slid ng moven'ieiits of the lyokes} are at right angles to the'sliding movements of the rods 15 in their supporting sleeves and parallel .with

the cross bar, but owing to ;the factgthat the cou'plingmeinber, 8 is permitted to oscillate about the axis of its vertically disposed pivot bolt 9 no, cramping effects result'from the fact that thelever 5 swings alioiit tllie axis ,o t', tlie.laimp standard and the increased distance is compensated for-by the sliding of rod 15 in sleeve 16'. Similarly,

the vertical movement of the vehicle frame is allowed to take place Without developing either cramping or tension strains, for the.

reason that the yoke oscillates about a horizontal axis in the coupling member 8 :-and

the sliding movement. of rod 15; allows for variati,ons in the distance. between this I clann: 1. In a vehicle provided Witha steering cross bar operatively'connected with the steering wheel, the combination of a set of lamp supporting vertically disposed standards, each having a rearwardly projecting arm adapted to oscillate about their vertical axes, a coupling block connected with each of said-arms, and also adapted to oscillate about a vertical axis, slides connected with the respective coupling blocks, and adapted for limited sliding movements therein along lines parallel with the cross bar, each of sai slides being normally positioned at theinner end of its field of movement in the block, and an extensible shank connecting each of the slides with the cross bar,said cross bar having sleeves in which the shanks are journaled, and ada ted to oscillate about an axis transverse to t e cross bar.

2. In a vehicle provided with a steering cross bar, the combination of a vertically disposed oscillatory lamp; supporting standard provided with an actuating lever, a coupling block mounted upon said lever, and adapted to oscillate thereon about a vertical axis, a slide operatively connected with the coupling block, and adapted for limited movement along'a line parallel to the cross bar, said slide being normally disposed-with its outer end adjacent to the coupling block, and adapted to movein the block outwardly toward the side of the wheel, and to oscillate therein about its own axis, said slide having a rearwardly extending extensible shank projecting across the steering cross bar, and said cross bar havin a sleeve transversely mounted'thereon, an in which the shank is journaled for oscillatory movement about its own axis.

3. In a vehicle provided with steering mechanism, including a laterally shifting cross bar, the combination of a set of lamp supporting standards adaptcd to oscillate about vertical axes independently of each other, resilient means for normally holding the standards in one position of adjustment, and independently operating connections between the steering cross bar and the standards, each including a transversely sliding yoke having an arm extending longitudinallyof the vehicle, in sliding and also oscillatory connection with said steering cross bar, said yoke being adapted for bodily movement with the steering cross bar transversely of the vehicle, and said lamp stand ards having connections articulated for both oscillatory and sliding movements upon the yoke, and adapted to allow universal vibratory movements of'th'e steering mechanism without transmission thereof to the associated lamp supporting standard, while utilizing transverse yoke movements of definite length to oscillate the lamp standard in one direction about a vertical axis.

4. In a vehicle provided with a transversely disposed steering cross bar, the combination ofa set of lamp supporting standards, adapted to oscillate about vertical axes independently of each other, resilient means for normally holding the standards in one position of adjustment, 3 and sets of universally jointed connections between said steering cross bar and the respective standards,

each of said connections/being adapted to extend and contract longitudinally of the vehicle, without affecting the head-lights, and each of Suld,COI1l1GCt10I1S also including a member connected for transverse movements with the steering cross bar, and adapted to transfer corresponding oscillatory movements to the associated lamp supporting standard after limited independent movement with the cross bar. I

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN F. ELLMAUERER. Witnesses:

O. C. WEBER, FREDERICK W. NOLTE. 

